Roger Fenonjois (POB) passed away

[Estelle]

While browsing the last issue of "Danse- Conservatoire" (I didn't buy it, so my memory isn't very precise), I noticed that it announced that the former POB étoile Roger Fenonjois passed away recently, at the age of 1982.

Here's what the notice about Fenonjois in Jacques Baril's "Dictionnaire de la danse" (1964) says: born in Paris, French dancer and ballet master. Training and career at the Paris Opera Ballet, promoted to principal dancer in 1946. [The "Danse- Conservatoire" article also said he left the Paris Opera in 1948.] Ballet Master at the Teatro Sodre in Montevideo, 1949-1951, 1954-56, at the Grand Theatre de Bordeaux, 1952-54, 1956-57, now [1964] ballet master in Lima. Foundator with Leone Mail of the "Ballets 53". Main choreographies: "Quadrille", Paris Opera, 1946, "La Calle", "Paillasse" for the City ballet of Lima. Married with Lolita Parent, ballet master of the Grand Theatre de Bordeaux.

Fenonjois also was in the first cast of Lifar's "Suite en blanc" in 1943. He's not listed among the male POB principals in the first edition of Ivor Guest's "Paris Opera Ballet", but is listed in the second edition (as being with the company between 1936 and 1949).

By the way, it is quite sad to read that list of principals, because so many of them have passed away in recent years (Peretti, Ritz, Renault, Algaroff, Van Dijk...) without getting much attention from the media...

[Mel Johnson]

He died at the age of 1982?

Wow! And here I thought I was getting old!;)

[Estelle]

Oh, I really was sleepy when I posted that

I meant 82, of course.